The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for customizing a rewritable storage medium such that only authorized use of digital content contained within the storage medium is permitted.
The widespread use of personal computers and other microprocessor-based equipment has opened very large and profitable markets in the sale of software applications that run on such computing equipment. Conventional software applications are stored on either a write-once or rewritable storage medium in order to distribute same to end users. Such storage media include (floppy) diskettes (such as 3.5-inch diskettes, 5.25-inch diskettes, etc.), discs (such as compact discs, CDs, CD-ROMs, CD-Is, CD-RWs, CD-ROM XAs, CD-Ws, Photo CDs, Video CDs, etc.), electronic storage media (such as programmable read only memories, PROMs, erasable programmable read only memories, EPROMs, electronic erasable programmable read only memories, EEPROMs, etc.)
As the software application is contained in the storage medium in digital form, those seeking to obtain unauthorized copies of the software application can easily do so. Moreover, irrespective of whether a particular copy of the software application is authorized or not, such software application may be loaded and run on any compatible computing device. Such copying and ease of use on different computing devices has the unfortunate effect of significantly reducing sales and profits on the software applications.
Accordingly, there are needs in the art for new methods and apparatus that permit the use of only authorized copies of software applications, or any other digital content, and to permit the use of such digital content on only authorized computing devices.